World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will face Elena Rybakina on Thursday at the 2023 WTA Finals tennis event. This will be a round-robin match in the tournament, the final one for each player. This match does serve as a de facto elimination match at this point. The loser will see her season come to an end while the winner will advance out of the group stages and into the semifinals. My Sabalenka vs Rybakina prediction is that the latter will win this match.
Schedule: Right-click/Open in the New Tab to check match times: subject to change
Recent Match Results for Aryna Sabalenka
What could be said about Aryna Sabalenka right now? She is the World No. 1 player, meaning no one has performed better than her over the last 52 weeks. However, matters have been a bit different in recent months.
In the current tournament, she is 1-1 with a loss to Jessica Pegula. Sabalenka was in the Beijing draw about a month ago, one that ended with a loss to the player she faces on Thursday. Previously, Sabalenka lost in the US Open final.
Usually, with the World No. 1 players, you don’t have to count six months back for a victory in a final. But you do have to go back to May to find a title for Sabalenka. She last won a title way back in Madrid.
Recent matches (Right click/Open in New Tab): Aryna Sabalenka
Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina Head-to-Head Series
Sabalenka holds a 4-2 edge on head-to-heads, according to the WTA’s tennis stats. But Rybakina won their last two matches, the one in Beijing about a month ago and an early-season match at Indian Wells. Sabalenka won a showdown back at the Australian Open early in the 2023 season, however, the script has since turned.
The Draw: Right-click/Open in the New Tab for the draw for the 2023 GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun
Sabalenka vs Rybakina Prediction: Rybakina wins
Conventional wisdom would be to take Rybakina in this match at +137 (bet365). You have to think that Sabalenka has taken in some bets only due to her status as the World’s No. 1 player. However, a two-match winning streak and a four-set winning streak are in Rybakina’s favor on head-to-heads and they can’t be ignored. When you add in the odds being in her favor, it’s a hand that plays itself. The underdog is the player to go with for this upcoming match.
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